WSJ: US secures backup base in Australia amid potential China conflict

The expanding HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia is set to host US nuclear submarines in the event of an armed conflict with China over Taiwan, and serve as a safe haven “if things go wrong,” The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.

According to WSJ, up to four submarines are planned to be stationed at the base in the coming years, with the first expected to arrive in 2027. 

This deployment is part of the defence pact under the UK-Australia-US trilateral alliance (AUKUS) in the Indo-Pacific region.

While US submarines are currently based on Guam, a potential conflict could expose the island to preemptive Chinese strikes, potentially disabling military infrastructure. 

The Australian base would provide a strategic advantage, enabling US submarines to also block key maritime trade routes with China if tensions escalate.

Australia is investing approximately $5.6 billion in HMAS Stirling to develop a training centre, housing, upgrades to the submarine pier, a facility for handling radioactive waste, and power infrastructure.

Late last year, the USS Vermont, a US Virginia-class attack submarine—the Navy’s most advanced—docked at the base for around four weeks, during which US and Australian personnel collaborated on numerous maintenance tasks.

By Jeyhun Aghazada